Embodied Rituals™: Installation One

Social Media Post [Edited], IG, Nov 27, 2017
Today, let’s reflect on the intuition of the BODY – another way for us to “know” and navigate the world. This ritual works best when done just before sleeping.

Preparation: Sit down in a quiet space. Make yourself comfortable and get any tools you need to do deep listening. You’ll want to set a mood that makes you feel safe & sensual (you might decide what factors contribute to this mood by asking yourself, “What are my favorite things to have SENSING experiences with?” Do you enjoy candles (scented or unscented)? A certain song or relaxing sound? The feeling of pen to paper in your journal? The feel of a silk robe on your skin? The feeling of being nude? The warmth & taste of your favorite tea?

Take a few slow, deep breaths.

Level One: Locate a body part to listen to. Any part will work so this might be the breasts, the neck, genitalia, shoulders, the “gut”… whatever gives you a sense of feeling & reaction. Direct your attention there. How is it feeling? What is it saying? How might it want to be honored? [*If you like to journal, feel free to record your reactions. Even what we might call ‘non-reactions’ are helpful to record because we can always come back to the practice later to note any changes.]

Level Two: Think of the name of someone you care for & enjoy. Materialize it (you may do this by speaking it aloud, signing it, writing it, or thinking of it posted somewhere in your space). With deep listening, attend to the question: where do you FEEL their name in your body? There is no “right” or “wrong” response. You might feel the energy of their name in your chest, or leg, or arm, or belly. Make note of your response the way that is most comfortable for you.

Level Three: Choose the name of someone you may be ambiguous about. Where do you feel their name? How is that zone responding? Perhaps, retry this exercise with the name of someone you just met, someone you do not like, someone that you have “lost”, someone that you have “found”. What differences do you notice, if any?

Level Four: Gently and compassionately ask yourself a question that has been on your mind. Do not look for any SPECIFIC answer. Just try to locate where that question hits your BODY. How does it make your matter feel? Take a note.

Post Embodied Ritual: Thank your body for all of the feedback it can give. Applaud yourself for taking the time to do some deep listening. Do not try to analyze your notes immediately. I suggest getting a good night’s rest and seeing if any information emerges from your dreaming space. In the morning, if you must, begin analyzing the personal lessons you received from this embodied ritual in any way you see fit (e.g. while eating breakfast, by writing a note to yourself, pondering things on your morning or afternoon break, on the train, etc. There’s no one way!)